“…Although the rural-to-urban migration of young people has generated scholarly and popular interest for several decades (for example, see: Bajema, Miller, & Williams, 2002;Burnell, 2003;Elder & Conger, 2000;Haller & Vickler, 1993;Hektner, 1995;Howley, 2006;Kirkpatrick Johnson, Elder, & Stern, 2005;Petrin, Farmer, Meece, & Byun, 2011), several recent studies of rural out-migration have attempted to untangle the complex and interconnected influences on youths' decision to leave their rural homes. This academic interest in youth out-migration is paired with a growing demand for information by rural residents and community development practitioners who see the loss of their towns' youth as an immediate hazard to wellbeing.…”